| Editor’s note: This was posted to
the Judges-L e-mail list. It is reprinted here with permission.
Letter to the CA Assembly
Ladies and Gentlemen:
I would like to present my views on this pending legislation. You are
being led astray by animal rights activists
who consider that animals have the same rights as humans. They feel it
is cruel to put a saddle on a horse; that milk
is liquid meat; that there should be zero pet population; that we
do not "own" animals--we are simply their
guardians. They have burned down facilities
and let lab animals run free to be killed or eaten; they have poisoned
animals at Fairs and Dog Shows feeling they would be better off dead
than in "bondage" to us humans. Does all of this present
rational thinking?
I don't know how many of you do have pets in your household, but I
cannot imagine life without some animals with which to share it. My dogs
live in the house with me; I use them to provide therapy to older people
and Alzheimer’s patients; we work in hospitals; we participate in the
READ program where children read to animals. My dogs choose to walk at
my side.
Their idea of freedom is to share my life. My dogs ride in the car,
stay at motels, chase balls, ride elevators, and get to experience all
aspects of life. They do not have any idea of running free to get hit by
cars or killed and eaten by becoming part of the animal food chain. The
domestic dog became that way when he chose to walk into the cave to live
with man and help him with the needs of daily living, i.e. hunters,
herders, retrievers, guarders, etc.
This background leads us to the present nationwide endeavor of these
activists to eliminate what they perceive of as inhumane treatment. They
know they can appeal to your unenlightened sense of what is cruelty. I
worked for a Veterinarian who did many ear crops on
breeds that are commonly cropped. I saw those puppies before and after
surgery and I will attest to the fact that they led a far more loving
life than all those mutts tied to a tree or dog house in someone's back
yard and allowed to reproduce uncontrolled. They loved to come to the
Vet. They got structure, attention, biscuits, training, care, played
with, and all around interest from their owners and the staff. This,
contrasted with the animals that never get out
of the back yard for a car ride, sleep at the foot of the bed, go for a
walk in the park, play ball or get any human interaction.
Those puppies did not suffer any more than a dog undergoing neutering
surgery.
As for docking tails--I have two docked breeds. I tie off their tails
in the same way that cattlemen, goat and sheep herders, nature centers,
zoos, etc., dock or castrate. I worked as a back office nurse in a
pediatrics practice and watched many a circumcision--my puppies hardly
notice their procedure, but I can assure you those baby boys did notice!
If dewclaws are not removed at the same time they get ripped off in the
field or in play. That repair does require
anesthesia, sutures, and bandages!
You could argue that, especially in California, plastic surgery is
elective yet chosen by millions of people who do suffer greatly in order
to enhance their appearance. Although the dogs do not have a choice,
there is no comparison with the amount of discomfort. The dogs hardly
notice what is happening to them.
This is just one more ploy to bring legislation that will, in the
long run, help eliminate the pet population. Remember--their ultimate
goal is ZERO PET POPULATION. The whole guardianship issue came about
because they could see that all pets could be legally seized by the
government because they were no longer "owned"!!!!!!!!
I implore you to consider your vote in this matter. A vote against
this legislation is a vote for the animals, and for responsible pet
ownership.
These activists have become very clever at fooling you and appealing
to an unenlightened public. Thank you so much for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Nancy Shaffer Smith, Red Lodge, Montana
This letter was sent to:
Assemblymember.Lasuer@assembly.ca.gov
Assemblymember.dymally@assembly.ca.gov
Assemblymember.Cohn@assembly.ca.gov
Assemblymember.Goldberg@assembly.ca.gov
Assemblymember.spitzer@assembly.ca.gov |
